My Dual Purpose Cross Plan

This weekend I am going to move my birds around in preperation for my crosses that I would like to try in an attempt to find a good DP hybrid. When I decided which breeds to get initially, I chose all breeds for potential good meat bird characteristics. I would like one of these crosses to result in a bird that will reach 4-6 pounds in 14-16 weeks. Here is what I am planning:

Speckled Sussex roo over Buckeye hens - My SS roo is a good sized roo. He took awhile to get there, so I'm concerned his genes may slow down my goal weight in time frame I'm hoping to get. Both the SS and Buckeyes have a nice square body type so it should be a nice looking table bird. The Buckeye hens I am using where selected by using the ALBC performance evaluation as they where developing, so they will bring quick growth and good body type to the cross. Buckeyes have a larger breast than other DP's, so I'm hoping that trait carries over in the cross.

Buckeye Roo over SS hens - Not sure about this. My Buckeye roo is a 12 pounder, but the SS hens are on the small side. I did this to see how the reciprical cross compared, and it made for an easy place to put the opposite genders left after above cross w/ out making a new pen. This cross may come into play down the road if I decide to do a cross with the hybrid. My SS lay more eggs than the Buckeyes.

Dominique roo over Buff Orpington hens - This will be an interesting one. The Dominique roo I am using is very, very large, and he and his brother where the biggest the fastest when they hatched last year with all my other breeds. I butchered his brothers at 20 weeks, and they where close to 7 pounds dressed. They had nice big leg quarters, but lacked breast meat. The BO leg quarters are my favorite chicken to eat. IMHO there is nothing better. The problem is very slow development. I processed some roos last Fall at 20 and then the rest at 24 weeks. The 20 weeks ones weren't very meatie, but by 24 weeks where decent. The hope is for the Dominiques quick growth will carry over in this cross. Both have the size I'm looking for, just not the time frame.

I am very excited about this project. I am going to feed all of them the same feed I use for my Cornish X's (23% protein) and give them as much of it as they can eat. It is going to be a challenge keeping all these properly identified so i can see which cross is the best. If things go well, I may hold back some of these for an additional cross next year. i need to figure out the whole F1, F2, ect.. thing. It would be really cool to come up with something that is successful and sell them in the future. I have put a lot of thought into this from the very beginning of getting chickens. I don't like the fact that I have to buy Cornish chicks to get a meatie bird. I know no matter what I cross it won't be as prolific as the CX, but I want to get something that is a little quicker to develop than just a purebreed DP.

Any comments or suggestions about any of these crosses would appreciated and willfully accepted.

I have a question for you.
I'm not using the Buckeyes in my meat breeding program because they proved not to be a hardy bird in my area. However, that aside, I found they were a gorgeous, meaty, fairly fast growing (for non cornish) DP bird. So what I am wondering is what it is you hope to add to that with the SS roo X BE hens and especially with the Nice Buckeye Roo over admittedly small SS hens? Unless I missed something it almost seem closer to your goal to put that Big BE roo over your BE hens . . .
What is it you are trying to add with the SS, or take away from the BE? Just curious as many of us are working on similar crosses.

i dont know whether you are trying to make this a sustainable project but the first one would probably work at least for the first generation or so. my project was to cross barred rock, rhode island reds , and jersey giant hens with cubalaya roosters to have a better tasting, bigger breasted bird that would still be good brown egg layers.

bigred, where did your buckeyes come from? Mine had terrible structure for a meat bird -- they had neither the square body nor better breasts like you describe -- but they were hatchery stock. If I try again with buckeyes (questionable right now) I want better quality stock.

Quote:Mine came from a breeder who has bloodlines from many of the breeders in the country. They have excellent body structure, especially after I culled those that didn't meet the ALBC's evaluation as I interpreted it. I have debated developing my Buckeyes stricltly for meat bird use or developing a cross. I decided on the cross because as long as I maintain my Buckeye stock, I can always revert to that. The ALBC strain will produce a 4-5 bird in about 14 weeks. Problem is that strain is hard to get your hands on. I tried everyone I could find with them, but no one will part with any. I can't say I blame them. They went thru a developing process to achieve what they currently have, and I think I wold be hesitant to let them out too. If you have hatchery stock, they probably crossed them with something that made them better layers somewhere along the line. The hatchery birds I have seen have an "S" shaped body moreso than the square.

This is the only picture I have of Brutus on my computer. He is a big guy, actually bigger than the Standard calls for.

Bigredfeather, i am wondering what the results were for you...or what other meat experiments you did in the last year or 2 since this thread. However, since the switch to the new platform, I doubt you'll be notified if I add to this thread! I'm trying anyway though!!!